Susbscribe to People

This year we made it our duty to remind our readers that some of the difficulties we sometimes encounter as individuals or families in this country are minor compared to the numerous social benefits that our children, families and elders enjoy. It is human to feel the pinch when the rising cost of commodities hits our belly but we should also be grateful for the numerous blessings that regularly befall us and our families.

We dedicated a considerable amount of time writing about the benefits that our citizens enjoy in terms of education, housing and social welfare, “from the cradle to the grave”, as the expression goes, thanks to the people centred social policies implemented by the Government of the day that has been doing so over the last four decades.The Government in power may have inevitably made some mistakes along the way that have impacted negatively on some of us but not everybody. However, the benefits emanating from the sound health, education, housing and social welfare policies have been more widespread for our youth, families and the elderly. Such policies are no doubt the legacy of the SPUP/SPPF and Parti Lepep Governments and now the new movement, United Seychelles, is promising more of the same as we have now reached a point where our people will reap more from the investments we have made as a country. Admittedly, we have made a lot of sacrifices together and now we have reached a turning point where we will reap a bit more together, as reflected clearly in the national budget for 2019.It is almost legendary for such a small country as ours, with so little natural resources, which embarked on an ambitious economic reform programme with the assistance and under the close scrutiny of the IMF, the World Bank and the European Union in 2008, to bounce back so fast and be declared a high income country only ten years later. If more evidence of success and consistent progress was ever needed, in the UNDP 2018 Human Development Index (HDI) Report Seychelles’ HDI is, likewise, reported to be high. Our country’s HDI is ranked 62nd worldwide and 1st in the Sub-Saharan African Region, ahead of countries like Botswana, Gabon and Mauritius.Our Government is not oblivious to our shortcomings, but we are forging ahead under the leadership of President Danny Faure to continue delivering for our citizens. With more vigour than ever, our Government is relentless in its commitment to ensure that, as a nation, we continue to harvest the fruits of our labour. United Seychelles is the new movement that will efficiently revitalise and muster our people, especially those who may still be floundering in the aftermath of a self-centred, irresponsible, vindictive and dilapidated opposition.Our column avails itself of this opportunity to thank our readers for their support during 2018 and wish everyone a Merry Christmas, good health and prosperity for 2019 and beyond.